


Believe Half of What You See

by celeste9



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Dress Up, Extra Treat, Fake/Pretend Relationship, First Kiss, First Time, M/M, Pre-Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-01
Updated: 2018-12-01
Packaged: 2019-08-28 00:03:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,697
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16712599
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/celeste9/pseuds/celeste9
Summary: Lando's plan was simple: Poe would be the handsome, heroic face of the Resistance, distracting their rich targets while Lando got them to sign off on everything he wanted. Pretending to be a couple wasn't actually part of the plan, but luckily they were both good at improvising.





	Believe Half of What You See

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cordica](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cordica/gifts).



> The title comes from Marvin Gaye, and much thanks to my friends for help in sorting out the plot scenario.

“I’m not sure I belong here,” Poe said, taking a turn around the room, gazing wide-eyed. “I feel like I’m dirtying it just being here.”

“Nonsense,” Lando assured him. “You’re a Naval commander. You absolutely belong in a hotel like this.”

“If you say so.” Poe continued to have his doubts. The lounge alone was bigger than any quarters he had ever had in the Navy, including as an officer. He hadn’t even seen the bed yet, and the refresher had an actual tub. A _tub._

“If you think this is fancy, wait until you see the party.”

“Yeah, about that. Are you sure you asked for the right partner on this?” Poe admitted to some surprise at being given this assignment, little that he knew about it. A gala on a Core world didn’t seem like the right fit for him, but Leia had said Lando insisted.

“Absolutely sure.”

“Why me though?”

“One, you’re good at improvising. Two, Leia trusts you.”

Poe inclined his head. That was fair enough.

“Three,” Lando continued, his eyes warm with amusement, “you’ll look good on my arm and I’ve got a reputation to keep. Four, you’ve got the panache needed for the outfit.” He flourished said outfit, pants and shirt on the hangar with a cape draped over.

Poe eyed it doubtfully. “I’m more of a leather jacket kind of guy.”

“And you wear them with style,” Lando assured him. “But this is not a leather jacket kind of occasion.”

“Not sure I have the… whatever, to pull off a cape.”

“Believe me, you’ve got more than enough whatever.”

Coming from Lando, that was a compliment. Poe just wasn’t sure he believed it. Still, he had done weirder things for missions. Wearing a cape and going to a fancy party wasn’t that bad.

Lando thrust the clothes at him. “Try it on. I’ll tell you if it doesn’t work.”

That was how Poe found himself standing in front of a full length mirror in a fancy hotel refresher, turning from side to side to ogle the effect. The shirt was made out of some soft, silken material, undoubtedly more expensive than anything Poe could ever afford, and he was slightly suspicious of how well the pants fit. The boots were tall and shiny and the belt buckled with a silver clasp.

It was the cape, though, that threw him. A cape. Kriff.

It was a half-cape, the cut seemingly designed to draw attention to his lower half. Navy, with red lining the inside. Flashy, meant to attract attention. It was the sort of thing Lando would absolutely wear when he was looking to impress and Poe suspected it actually was on loan from Lando’s personal wardrobe.

“Come on, Dameron,” Poe muttered to himself. “Get back out there and let Lando tell you you look ridiculous.”

Except when he walked out of the refresher, Lando whistled in appreciation and made him stand still while he checked Poe over. He adjusted the drape of the cape and fussed with Poe’s collar before declaring, “I knew you’d be perfect for this.”

“What exactly is it we’re doing? No one’s been too clear on that yet.”

“Why, we’re wining and dining,” Lando said, his hand on Poe’s shoulder. “And hopefully persuading some very rich beings into giving us their support.”

Suddenly it all made more sense. This was the kind of behinds the scene work that Poe had been aware Lando did for the Resistance, and the emphasis on appearance was logical.

So, admittedly, was Lando’s desire to have Poe involved. Beings of all sorts tended to like him: at least, they did when Poe wanted them to.

“What’s my part in it?”

“The idea is you’ll endear them with tales of your heroics and distract them with your pretty face while I get them to sign off on everything I need.”

“So you want me to be charming and impressive? I hope the drinks are free.”

“Everything’s free for you,” Lando said with a smile that made an uncomfortable squirmy feeling arise in Poe’s middle, like he was twelve and his crush had noticed him.

Or like there was the possibility of getting lucky later, but that was ridiculous. Twelve year old with a crush. That was just embarrassing.

He was thankfully distracted by Lando saying, “Let me get dressed and we’ll head down.”

Poe blinked. “You mean you aren’t dressed already?”

Lando slid his hands down over his shirt with a look of mild distaste. “While I pride myself on being perpetually presentable, this absolutely won’t do for the kind of party we’re about to be attending. Make yourself comfortable; I’ll be as quick as I can.”

‘Make yourself comfortable’ seemed solid advice so Poe flopped down onto a cushy sofa and messaged Jess. He had really only just gotten into teasing her about getting passed over for this gig when Lando came back out.

Poe’s mouth dropped open.

He made himself close it.

Lando smirked. “Nice, huh? If I were thirty years younger I wouldn’t even need you for the distraction. Hell, maybe I don’t anyway.”

Poe swallowed. “Uh, yeah.”

Lando had gone with a red color scheme, the shirt a few shades off from the cape, and Poe wondered whether it was intentional, to go with Poe. His cape was longer and richer looking, with a collar that Poe knew he would never in a million years have been able to pull off. Hell, Poe couldn’t have pulled any of it off.

“But,” Lando said, “distraction or not, I definitely need you to be the Resistance’s handsome, brave face. The distraction is a bonus.”

“As long as you can stay focused with me by your side,” Poe said as he got up to his feet, resorting to jokes to hide the fact that honestly, he was the one who was gonna be distracted.

-

The hall was cavernous, with the ceiling projected to look like the night sky. Poe tried to look as though he belonged, strolling in beside Lando, reminding himself that he had been invited even as he attempted not to ogle the finery. Lando snagged them drinks from a passing serving droid, a fizzy wine.

“Kind of reminds me of that one time I went to Canto Bight,” Poe said, sipping.

“This isn’t as cheap as Canto Bight.”

“Cheap,” Poe repeated, and took another sip.

Lando placed his hand at the small of Poe’s back to gently steer him towards one of the high tables where an Aruzan couple was standing with a plate of food. “They have deep pockets and a liking for peace, not to mention an appreciation for a face like yours. Say hello and they’ll sign over as many credits as we like.”

“Lando,” greeted one man, beaming. “We should have known we’d see you here.”

“I like a good party,” Lando agreed.

“And you’ve still got the best eye,” said the man’s partner with an obvious onceover of Poe. “Who’s this beautiful boy?”

“Poe Dameron,” Poe said, and extended his hand. “So nice to meet you.”

“Commander Poe Dameron,” Lando emphasized. “Formerly of the New Republic Navy, now of the Resistance.”

“Oh, a starfighter pilot,” said the smaller of the two Aruzans. “Handsome and brave? We may try to steal him if you’re not careful.”

Poe laughed a little as the first Aruzan interjected, “Never mind Caran, he’s a terrible flirt. Pleasure to meet you, Commander. I’m Kraton.”

“Likewise,” Poe said and shook his hand.

Lando hadn’t been exaggerating how easy it would be to elicit support for the Resistance from these two. They hung onto Poe’s every word as he described the work he did for Leia and then willingly offered Lando a huge sum to be dispensed with as he saw fit.

After promising to catch up with them again later, Lando guided Poe to their next target. “Knew you’d be a hit,” he said. “Now, Adara’s grip on her money is a bit tighter but I’m confident you can win her over.”

“So the Aruzans were a warm-up?”

“Basically. Smile.”

Feeling sort of like bait being tossed around, Poe smiled to greet the heavyset blue-skinned Twi’lek Lando had led him to. “Good evening, ma’am,” he said, and kissed her hand.

She giggled, the encrusted jewels on her dress glittering. “As charming as Lando. Are you going to introduce us?”

“Adara,” Lando obliged, “meet Commander Poe Dameron. I believe I mentioned him to you, last we spoke?”

“Of course,” she said. “The rebel, son of rebels. Leia Organa’s protégé.”

“I wouldn’t say protégé,” Poe protested, but she waved him off, calling over a serving droid with fresh drinks.

“Now, don’t play games, Lando,” she said. “You brought him to sway me into helping, didn’t you?”

“Adara,” Lando said in a manner that implied she had deeply wounded him. “Would I do that?”

“Yes.”

Poe covered up his snort with a cough and Lando pinched his side where Adara couldn’t see.

“I just wanted to show Poe a good time, that’s all,” Lando insisted. “He works hard, never gets a break. Was I wrong to give him the pleasure of your company?”

Adara clearly wasn’t fooled but she did relent. “Who am I to deny a brave young man his rest and relaxation?”

“I just like to fly, ma’am,” Poe said.

Adara patted his hand across the table, the bands of her rings cool against his skin. “You’re adorable. What sort of flying do you do for Leia Organa?”

“Whatever she asks me to. Information gathering, protection, supplies. I go where she points me.”

“That’s very loyal.”

“She’s the kind of woman who inspires loyalty.”

“Inspires more than that, I think,” Adara said, and Lando coughed.

“Poe’s just come back from a mission,” he said. “Undercover. Leia couldn’t trust anyone but him.”

“From what I hear, she has few enough people to trust.”

“But more are joining up every day,” Poe said, though that was an exaggeration. Their numbers had swelled, but it was more a slow trickle than a deluge. Most of the galaxy was content to sit back and pretend nothing was happening.

“So what are you?” Adara asked. “Her favorite?”

“Her best pilot,” he said, because it was only true. “Like I said, I like to fly. The Navy wasn’t doing enough, so I went to Leia, who lets me fly for something I believe in.”

 _Sympathy,_ Poe thought. They needed to earn her sympathy.

“It’s harder for the ones waiting,” he found himself saying. “Never knowing if they’re going to see their loved one again.”

Without missing a beat, Lando laid his hand gently over Poe’s. “I worry every time,” he said. “Poe teases me about it later. When he’s safe.”

Poe very deliberately did not blink or flinch. He pressed slightly closer to Lando, noting the way Adara was watching them, eyes wide and soft, hand to her breast, and then kissed Lando’s cheek. “I tease you because you worry worse than my father, babe.”

“Your father wouldn’t miss your cute butt as much I would.”

Poe shrugged in a ‘what can you do?’ way. Adara laughed in delight.

“Lando,” she said. “You never told me you were dating him!”

“Didn’t want you to think I wanted something from you, for Poe,” Lando said, shrugging his shoulders very slightly.

“Well, never mind that. You want credits? To buy him a new ship? How much?”

Lando squeezed Poe’s hand and smiled at Adara. “You have the heart of a princess.”

“The heart of a sap,” she countered. “But you’re lucky you snagged him first; I was ready to see if he might like to see my room.”

After that, there was nothing to be done but keep up the game. They had become Lando and Poe, the couple, and they worked it to their advantage. It made Poe more than the pretty distracting face with the war stories; now he was the man Lando desperately didn’t want to lose.

They took that personal connection as far as they could.

“I’m old, you see,” Lando said to an Abednedo in an impeccably cut suit. “I did the war thing once already. Hard to do it all over again, and now, with Poe…” He shrugged as if to try to play down his emotions, which of course had the effect of making them seem more genuine. “I didn’t love someone before.”

To the human couple at the bar, Poe mentioned how short they were on fuel and how treacherous it made flying, while Lando encircled his waist with his arm and rubbed Poe’s hip with his thumb. They fed each other appetizers and let their picture get snapped, over and over. Caran and Kraton made exaggeratedly maligned faces at them for not letting them in on the news and then offered access to a farm they owned on a fertile Mid Rim world. In the middle of a conversation with a particularly exuberant group, Poe had leaned in and kissed Lando’s mouth on a whim. He leaned back, flushed, but Lando smiled at him and the crowd loved it.

Poe might have felt bad about the deception if he didn’t think the Resistance deserved all this money and more. He also might have felt bad if his insides weren’t wriggling in excited pleasure so much, knowing Lando’s demonstrative affection was only a show and yet enjoying it all the same.

By the time they stumbled back out of the hall, Poe was warm and laughing and tipsy, and Lando’s arm was still around his waist. He smelled like these pine trees Poe had seen once, on… what was that planet? Aco’ana? Acoan? It didn’t matter. The point was, he smelled amazing, and Poe could still remember the brush of his lips and the roughness of his mustache against his cheek.

“Well, that was a rousing success,” Lando said. “I’m going to get Leia to let me use you every time I’m out making money for you people.”

“Suppose you’ll have to. Imagine the stir it’ll make if they think we’ve broken up.”

Lando laughed and dropped a kiss into Poe’s hair. “This is the most fun I’ve had not dating someone; I’d hate to not break up with you.”

“You don’t want me as your not ex,” Poe agreed. “I’ll make it messy.”

All the way back to their room, Lando kept holding Poe. It was nice, and Poe hadn’t had the opportunity to be close to anyone in a long time. He liked pretending.

Maybe especially because it was Lando. Teenage Poe would have keeled over if he’d known he would get to kiss Lando, fake or not.

He was still almost surprised when they entered the lounge and Lando didn’t move away. He watched Poe from very close, his eyes dark and inviting, and turned into him, sliding a hand into Poe’s hair. “I knew you’d be perfect for this.”

“Like you said,” Poe said, trying not to stare too deeply into Lando’s eyes. “I’m good at improvising.”

“And you look fantastic on my arm.”

“That, too.” He bit his lip so he wouldn’t make an embarrassing sound when the hand on his waist dropped a little lower.

“It’s a big bed,” Lando said, nearly a purr. “Be a shame to waste it.”

“A real shame,” Poe said, and kissed him.

-

In the morning, Poe awoke to a buzzing coming from his datapad. He cursed and lit up the screen to see it overflowing with messages; he looked at one from Leia.

A picture of him and Lando, from the HoloNet, with some fawning caption about the surprise relationship between ‘dashing Resistance pilot Commander Dameron and Rebel Alliance hero General Calrissian’ charming the whole party. Leia had noted, _As long as you accomplished what you were supposed to, I don’t want to hear about it._

Poe half groaned and half laughed, tossing the datapad back onto the table beside the bed. Lando mumbled something and burrowed his face into the pillow.

Poe slung an arm and a leg back over him, closing his eyes. He hoped Lando might want to not date him for a little while longer.


End file.
